Casa Ferreirinha, Callabriga Red

The hand-picked grapes, chosen from the plots with a better-balance of ripening were vinified at Quinta da Leda’s winery. After full de-stemming and soft crushing they were taken to stainless steel tanks and/or robot-operated presses where fermentation took place with prolonged maceration and pumping-over under controlled temperatures. A long post-fermentation maceration ensued, with the aim of obtaining the finest aromatic extraction, which enabled the transfer of the grape skin quality components into the wine. Callabriga was taken to Vila Nova de Gaia between October and December, and its maturation went on for about a year in used, French (90%) and American (10%), oak barrels. The final blend was prepared from a qualitative selection made after many tastings, which made it possible to choose the best wines, by barrel and grape variety. The final blend underwent a slight filtering prior to bottling.

Tasting Note: It has a deep ruby hue. It has an intense and complex bouquet with a prevalence of ripe red fruits (blackcurrant and strawberry), black fruits (plum) and floral notes of rock-rose. Spicy aromas (pepper and curry) are also present, due to the oak maturation. Excellent quality oak notes are very well integrated. The palate has a fine body, fine-quality tannins, a well-integrated acidity, a strong presence of red fruits and warm spicy notes. It has a long and complex finish.

Food Pairing: Ideally accompanies red meat, big game and intense cheeses. Rich and tasty, it always goes very well with rump-steak and asparagus.